Licensing with a Difference – Artistic and Literary Copyrights Edition

Above: Still from Coca-Cola ‘Masterpiece’

Looking for a surefire way to bring attention to your campaign? Using licensed IPs is a proven method, tapping into nostalgia, capitalising on the credibility of trusted talents, and entertaining audiences by bringing them into new contexts. Beloved visuals, sounds, and texts are a treasure trove for enhancing your storytelling.

Take Coca-Cola’s ‘Masterpiece’ campaign, for example – it was a storytelling masterpiece in itself. Zooming inside an art gallery, we bore witness as Andy Warhol’s irresistible ‘Large Coca-Cola’ was stolen and tossed between classic artworks like Munch's ‘The Scream’ and Vermeer's ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ as well as a number from emerging artists. For audiences, seeing these beloved paintings come to life and interact through animation was exciting, boosting the campaign’s entertainment value and memorability.

Above: Coca-Cola ‘Masterpiece’

For that to even be possible, artwork and photo copyright licensing had to be taken into account, as well as the moral rights of the artists, meaning that the integrity of their work had to be respected. It’s not an easy task to get artists’ representatives to agree for artworks to be modified or manipulated, but in some rare cases, the creative is so enticing that approvals can be granted on an exceptional basis. In Coca-Cola’s case, it paid off: the campaign was awarded Bronze in the Film Craft category and was shortlisted four times at Cannes Lions in 2023.

Some brands go even further by fully integrating artworks into their film. Renault’s ‘R5VOLUTION is a French thing’ is a feast for the eyes, with exploding colours and a certain je ne sais quoi emulating the spirit of the revolution. Celebrating the reinvention of the car originally born in the ‘70s, the spot’s bold visuals capture the attention, as contemporary scenes recreate those from famous paintings, even turning into paintings themselves. Each scene is depicted with visible brush strokes or ‘painted dots’, a style and technique used by artist Benjamin Bardou. The spot mixes traditional arts with modern techniques not only visually, but also sound-wise: the Daft Punk track is cleverly intertwined with classical music to accompany the change of historical periods and musically follow the temporality of the scenes. The results fill you with emotion. No doubt.

Above: Renault ‘R5VOLUTION is a French thing’

Aesthetics and music are not the only options when it comes to utilising the power of copyright licensing. Spoken and written words can also add a layer of beauty and poetry to a spot, whether that’s a poem in its entirety, an excerpt from a book, or a well-known quotation from a famous personality. Such IPs are protected by literary copyrights, and in some cases, quotations can also be protected by trademarks. "Let's get ready to rumble" has been trademarked by Michael Buffer, while Martin Luther King Jr famously copyrighted his “I have a dream” speech – he knew this would be a historical piece of content to be protected.

Cunard cruise’s ‘Dreams’ is a perfect example of how a spot can invite you to do just that – dream – by combining seascapes, luxurious surroundings, and the words of Alan Watts, British philosopher, writer, and speaker. “I wonder, I wonder what you would do if you had the power to dream any dream you wanted to dream?" That text, which would have had to be licensed, is priceless when heard in the original author’s voice.

Other brands have also used powerful speeches to inspire audiences. During the pandemic, Lavazza featured Chaplin’s uplifting final speech from ‘The Great Dictator’ to encourage people to embrace a renewed sense of humanity. More recently, Alfa Romeo Tonale incorporated the speech into a campaign that emphasizes emotion over cold rationality. The spot concludes with the message: “It’s time to feel human again. We are nothing without emotions.”

Though the speech comes from Chaplin’s 1940 film, which remains under copyright, its message feels as relevant as ever.

When it comes to poetry, one would expect that such words are by writers, but in some cases, sport or movie icons can also master the art of spoken word.

Muhammad Ali was an excellent orator and many of his quotes still resonate to this day. “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” or “Don't count the days, make the days count" are some of his most famous. Louis Vuitton understood the power of the words spoken by The Greatest when the brand decided to produce the wonderful spot, ‘Word’.

The campaign pays homage to the boxing legend with Yasiin Bey perfectly delivering his poetry while artist Niels Shoe Meulman paints calligraphy on the ring floor. Only at the end of the spot do you see and hear Ali. Stunning work.

Everyone knows and loves Marilyn Monroe the public, Hollywood star; but in private, she was also an avid book reader and jotted down a lot of her thoughts on paper. Her book ‘Fragments’ is a collection of handwritten notes, poems, letters, and personal photos which reveal very intimate details. These fragments of thoughts reveal a passionate woman who strove to perfect her craft and cared for civil rights. Utilising such intimate words in the context of a campaign can add a lot of depth and authenticity to a brand’s message.

Chanel made the most of this when a never before heard clip of Monroe was unearthed. In it, you hear the actress reveal that she wears Chanel N°5 to bed. Although the quote first appeared in a 1952 LIFE magazine interview, the audio was discovered much later on, giving Chanel the authentic association they needed to formally partner with the icon.

The biggest brands – Coca-Cola, Renault, Cunard, Louis Vuitton, Lavazza, Alfa Romeo and Chanel – are all leveraging the power of IPs in their own unique ways to carve out their place in advertising history. Partner with trusted licensing experts, and you’ve got a guaranteed way to make your storytelling go further. Partner with SB Licensing, and you’ve got access to the estates of a growing list of stars, including Marilyn Monroe, Muhammad Ali, and Elvis Presley.

Contact us at www.sb-licensing.com to find out more.